sensitize

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not the arguably more correct form sensitivize, is the standard word in meanings to do with making things sensitive, normally in physical senses (in photography, for example).

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or sensitisation

1. enhanced reactivity to any treatment (such as exposure to an agonist) of any tissue, cell, or molecular system resulting from prior experience or treatment (often by the same agonist).
2. the conditioning of an animal by antigen in such a way that hypersensitivity reactions occur on subsequent exposure to the antigen.
3. the attachment of antibody to sheep red blood cells to make them susceptible to lysis by complement in the complement-fixation test. Red blood cells treated in such a way are commonly referred to as sensitized cells.

—sensitize or sensitise vb.

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A state in which the body is sensitized to particular stimuli, e.g. (1) certain individuals exposed to some antigens by a particular route elicit an immune response which may be antibody-mediated, particularly IgE, or cell-mediated which sensitizes them such that subsequent exposure to the same antigen elicits an allergic response; said especially of such exposure resulting in a hypersensitivity reaction. (2) The coating of cells with antibody as a preparatory step to some detectable reaction such as their lysis if complement is added. (3) The preparation of a tissue or organ by one hormone so that it will respond functionally to the action of another.

• active s. — the sensitization that results from the injection, ingestion or inhalation, of antigen into the animal. See also active immunity, active immunization.
• passive s. — that which results when blood serum from a sensitized animal is injected into a normal animal. See also passive immunity, passive immunization.
• protein s. — that bodily state in which the individual is sensitive or hypersusceptible to some foreign protein, so that when there is absorption of that protein a typical reaction is set up.

See words rhyming with "sensitizer."

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - gøre følsom, gøre modtagelig, sensibilisere
v. intr. - blive følsom, blive modtagelig

Nederlands (Dutch)
gevoelig worden/maken, bewust maken van

Français (French)
v. tr. - sensibiliser
v. intr. - sensibiliser

Deutsch (German)
v. - sensibilisieren

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - ευαισθητοποιώ

Italiano (Italian)
sensibilizzare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - sensibilizar

Русский (Russian)
делать чувствительным, делаться более чувствительным

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - sensibilizar
v. intr. - sensibilizar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - sensibilisera

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
使敏感, 使过敏, 使敏化, 变得敏感, 敏化

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 使敏感, 使過敏, 使敏化
v. intr. - 變得敏感, 敏化

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 민감하게 하다, ~에 감광성을 주다, 감작하다
v. intr. - 감광성을 얻다, 민감 해지다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 敏感にする, 感光性を与える

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يجعله ذا حساسيه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮עשה לרגיש, עשה לרגיש לאור‬
v. intr. - ‮נעשה לרגיש‬

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